**HOMELESS COALITION OF TIMMINS MEDIA RELEASE**

The Homeless Coalition of Timmins (HCT) is a grass-roots organization made up of like-minded community advocates who wish to advocate, advise, shape and coordinate community strategies to prevent and reduce homelessness in the Timmins Area.

Their first project is re-introducing TimminsGetClean, a volunteer-driven community clean-up event. The objective of this event is to help community members feel pride in their public spaces by bringing them together, and to raise awareness about homelessness and substance use in Timmins.

“We’re inviting people to come together to help clean the community, spaces like parks that everyone uses,” said Jason Sereda, co-founder and Chair of the HCT, “we know that the people of Timmins have pride in our City, and we think that events like TimminsGetClean are a great way to bring different groups together for a common cause. The HCT is hoping to spark further discussion and actions to rally the community around commonly shared social issues.”

The main event is broken down into three stages. First, volunteers are asked to show up for registration at 9:30 am at First Baptist Church on Third Avenue. At this time, volunteers will be assigned a location of the city to help clean. Following the clean-up around 12:00pm, volunteers and community members are invited to attend the registration zone for a free community meal. There will also be live entertainment provided by Lee Hannigan and Friends at the Working Class later in the evening between 8:00 and 10:00 pm.

All community members are invited to participate in the event, and students are welcome to accumulate volunteer hours. “If you would like to participate in the event, you can check our our Facebook page for more information, or you can just show up shortly before 9:30. It’s important to note that if you are under 18, we would like to have your parents sign off on a waiver,” said KayLee Morissette, co-founded and Secretary of the HCT. “We are happy to have the support of the former organizers of TimminsGetClean, Rick and Debbie Cecconi, to help guide us and launch this year’s event.”

Monetary donations will be accepted during all three stages to help offset the cost of the event. This event could not have been possible without community partners, who have helped to supply vests, sunscreen, water bottles, meeting space, work gloves and garbage bags and food.

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For more information, please contact Jason Sereda or KayLee Morissette at homelesscoalitiontimmins@gmail.com or visit our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/HomelessCoalitionTimmins.